West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-05-05
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINEs SUN
DAY SERMON
Subject Behind tic Counter"

ENA HWu ~ CtlfUtn NOmUn named
Lndtu, q seller Of purple, Of TIC city Of Thy
Gthd, phich ,CorShippcd God, heard US tchoSo
heart the Lord opened Acts xvi 10 "SreI
hou man ddigcat IA has bUSintSsf ne
shdu stand before kings - Proverbs xii, -.
The first passage introduces 10 YOU lydia.
christian merChautcSS. Her business is TO
deal In purple cloths or silks. She is not
giggling nouontity, but practical woman,
not ashamed TO work for her living An tho
other women of Philipp and Thyatira have
been forgotten, but God has made immortal
IN our text, Lydia, the Christian saeswo-
mnn.
The other text shows YOU n man with head
and hand, and heart, and foot all busy tuilinE
ON up until he gains prncoly success
SesSt thou a man diligcnt ina his hilsneSsl lao
snail stand before kings Great encourage
ment I'M these two passages for mon aud
women who Will bo busy, hut no so.aCe for
those Tho are waiting for good luck 10 show
them, at the foot of the rainbow n cnskct OF
buried gold. IL Is folly for anybody in this
world 10 wait for something 10 turn up It
viii turn down. Tho law of thrift is as mex
orable as the law of the tides Fortune, the ma
giciRn, may wave her wand i'm that direction
until castles and palaces come, hut she will af-
ter while, invert the Same wand and all the
splendors will vanish into thin air. There arc
certain styles of behavior which lead TO use
tulneSs, honor and permanent success, aud
There are certain STYLES Of behavior which
lead TO dust, dishonor ard moral default
would ike 10 tire the ambition of young pco-
pie. i have no sympathy with those who
would prepare young folks for life 10y whit
tlng down their expectations. That man or
woman viii loo worth nothing TO Church or
State who begins life cowcd down Tho bust.
ness OF Christianity IL not TO qucnch but TO
direct human ambition. Therefore IL is that
come out this morning and utter words OF
encouragement 10 those who are occupied as
clerks in the stores and shops and banking
houses or tho country. You say: "Whv
select one class and talk 20 one specially this
morningP For the Same reason that
surgeon does not open the door of a hospital
and throw i'm Rbushel OF prescriptions, saying:
Come, now, and get your medicine He
first feels the pulse, watches the symptoms.
and then prcscrbes for that particular casc
30 to-day must he specific. Tho people i'm
this audience who are clerks are not an
exceptional class. They belong TO a great
company of tens OF thousands who are i'm this
country, and circumstances which will
either make or break them for time and for
eternity. should be very slow 20 ucknow-
ledge that the clerks, male and female, OF
ether cities, are any more honest or faithful
than the clerks OF our own city. Many OF
these people have already achieved Chris
tan manliness and Christian womanlineSs
which will be their passport 10 any position
1 have seen their trials. l have watched
their perplexities There AFRO evils abroad
which need 10 be hunted down, and dragged
out into the MONDAY light
In the first place, / counsel clerks 10 ro-
member that for the most part their clerk
ship is only school from which they are 10
be graduated. lt takes about eight years 20
get ono OF the learned professions. IL takes
about eight years to get TO 10 merchant
Some OF you win be clerks all your lives
but the vast majority OF you are only in a
transient position. After while, some
December day, the head men OF the firm will
call you into the back Office and they will sny
70 you Now you have done well 10y us
we arc going 10 do well by YOU We invite
you 70 have an interest i'm our concern You
Will bow 10 that edict very Gracefully. Get
ting into street car going home
say: "Whnt makes you look go happy to-
mghtW 30" you will say, "nothing moth
ing" But In n few daiS your namo will
blossom on the sign. Ether in the store or
bank where you are now, or i'm some other
store or bank, you will take higher position
than that which you now occupy SO feel
to-day that am standing before people who
Will yet have their hand on the helm Of tho
worlds commerce, and you will turn 10 this
way or that now clerks, but 10 be bankers inn
portcTs, insurance company directors, ship
pers, contractors. superintendents Of railroads
Your voice mighty ''on Change" standing
foremost in the great financial and re-
nglouS enterprises OF the day For
though we who are in tho professions may
on the platform, plead for the philanthropies,
after all, tho merchants must come forth
with their millions 10 sustain the movement.
BE, therefore, patient and diligent I'm this
can learn things. you can never learn in any
other place. What you consider your disad-
yantagcs arc your grand opportunity. YOu
zee an aiiiuent father some day come down on
prominent street with his son, who has just
graduated from tho University ard
established him I'm business, putting
one hundred thousand dollars Of capital
IN the store. Well, Won arc cnvious. You
say: "Oh, n only had n chance like that
young man-if only had father b. put one
hundred thousand dollars In business FOR mo.
then would have some chance In the world -
80 not enviOus. You have advantage over
9hat young man which he has not over YOU
As we'll might / come down 30 the do Ike
when vessel Is about TO sail for Valparaiso,
and say: let mo pilot this ship out OF tho
Nnrrowsn Why, would sink crew and cargo
before got out Of the harbOr, simply because
know nothing about pilOtage Wealthy sea
captains put their Sons before the mast
Tor the reason that they know that IL is the
only place where they can learn 20 he success
tul sailors. u Is only under drill that people
get TO understood pilOtage and navigation,
and want You 20 understand that IL takes
no more skill 10 conduct n vessel out Of tho
harbOr and across the sea, than 10 steer a
commercial establishment clear Of tho rocks
You SOC every day the folly Of people going
into business they know nothing
about a man makes a fortune IN ono
business; thinks there Is another occupation
more comfortable; goes into 10 and sinks all
Many OF tho commercial establishments Of
our cities are giving ~ their clerks q morcan-
tile education az thorough as Yale, or Har-
ward, or Princeton, are giving scientific at
Ainment u tho students natriCulatod Tho
reason 80 many men are laundering In
business from year 10 year, is because their
early mercantile education was neglected
Ask these men high I'm commercial circles.
and they viii tell you they thank Cod for
this severe discipline Of their earIy clerk
ship. You can afford 90 endure tho wilderness
march fitisgOing 70 end In the vineyards and
orchards o. tho promised land But YOu cay.
"Wili the wOmauly clerks in our stores have
promotiOnr Yes Time Is coming when
women viii be- as well paid for their toll In
mercantile circles ~ men arc now paid for
their toll. Time is coming when woman
viii b allowed to do anything she can do
wen. 10 is only little while ago when women
know nothing Of telegraphy, and they we're
kept out or great many commercial circles
where they are now welcome and tho time
viii 90 on until the woman who nt ono cOun-
ter I'm store sells ten thousand dollars worth
Of goods in a year, will get as high n salary
~ the man who nt the Other counter
on The same store sells ten thousand dol
lars worth OF goods. AL honor TO
Lydia, the Christian saleswOman. And I'M
passing, j may as well say that you merchants
who have female clcrks Boo your stores ought
20 treat them with great courtesy and kind.
ness When they are not positively engaged.
let them sit down. Tn England aud tho
United States physicians have protested
against the habit Of compelling tho wOmanly
clerks in The stores 20 stand when it was not
necessary for them 60 stand Therefore add
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